This study tells the story of how a small community based organisation in the mountains of Puerto Rico became a driving force for a bottom up process of policy change that has reshaped the way the country’s forest resources are perceived and managed. At the most basic level, it is a story about the creation and management of a new forest reserve in Puerto Rico, the Bosque del Pueblo, or the People’s Forest. But it is also a larger story, one of tenacity, wise choices, some mistakes and plenty of courage. It documents the results of a process of self-reflection carried out by the story’s chief protagonist, an organisation called Casa Pueblo and facilitated by the Caribbean Natural Resources Institute.